Detroit Electric update: can the all-electric car with no connection to Detroit succeed?

A mix of good and bad news about the Detroit Electric revival story. The good news is that the brand remains alive and sending messages of solid partnership between Malaysian company Proton and European investors. Automotive News believes that the brand would have a large following among European and Asian customers for its all-electric vehicles. However, problems might arise in the U.S. when the company's EVs - a $25,000 model with a 110-mile range and a 200-mile version for $33,000 - go on sale here. The problem is that the Detroit Electrics will have nothing to do with Detroit except the name: the cars will be built in Malaysia, a fact that might be a problem for certain buyers. Also, the U.S. Patent Office has refused Detroit Electric's request for a trademark thus far because the company doesn't have any connection to Detroit. This could be a severe conflict with Detroit-based companies that already produce EVs: Ford, GM and even small companies such as Detroit Electric Vehicles LLC, which sells electric car kits and converts vehicles from gasoline to electric engines.

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Anonymous

I doubt that there's enough brand recognition left for the old Detroit Electric name after a century that it's really important to hang on to it anyway. There's a whole galaxy of fitting, better and more forward looking names available.